Congress party plans to stage a comeback in Uttar Pradesh

Sun, 2006-05-07 12:56  moderator

[b]Congress party plans to stage a comeback in Uttar Pradesh[/b]

By M Rama Rao - Reporting for Asian Tribune from New Delhi

[b]New Delhi, 07 May (Asiantribune.com): [/b]Though India will witness the final ballot in the latest round of assembly elections in three states interest is centred on a by-election to India's parliament which is also taking place simultaneously on Monday, May 8.

Rae Barelli, the constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state which boasts of sending the largest contingent of India's lawmakers has been a pocket borough of Nehru - Gandhi family for five generations. Yet, the bye-election has come to acquire high profile. Partly it is because the election was necessitated by the resignation of Sonia Gandhi, in the wake of a controversy that she was holding offices of profit apart from being a law maker.

For a change, the entire campaign was managed by her son Rahul Gandhi, almost exclusively with Sonia shouldering the electioneering in West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Pondicherry.

Rahul, seen as a reluctant politician, and shy and withdrawing type, has been unusually outspoken. He did hit out at the local government of Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi party but also spoke of the need to make the Congress regain its old foothold in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul represents the adjoining Amethi constituency.